1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and protective apparatus for insulatively encapsulating electrical circuits.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Protective housings for electrical circuits have been employed in the past. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,290 to Johnson shows a plastic housing for electrical elements disposed and potted therein to provide both electrical insulation and mechanical protection from the environment. The housing is a hollow enclosure defining first and second openings through its walls, the first opening having internal threads. The electrical elements are inserted into the housing through the first opening. A cylindrical cap member has an externally threaded first end of a diameter dimensioned to fit within said housing first opening, to engage the threads therein. When threaded into the first opening, the cap member effectively retains the electrical components within the housing. However, Johnson does not provide a means for fixing the position of the circuit elements within the housing in a predetermined relationship. Because the circuit elements may be displaced and subsequently damaged when the insulative potting compound is injected into the capped housing, there is a need to find an encapsulating apparatus which effectively fixes the position of the circuit elements within the housing prior to introduction of the potting compound.